Umbrella.



E. F. BRUNELLO.

UMBRELLA.

uruonron FILED JULY 26, 1909.

952,504, I Patented Mar. 22, 1910.

Z/firaxzeddo AW 5 mun co. mommmAmm \nwumou n (L EMILIO F. BRUNELLG, OF PREACHER, VIRGINIA.

UMBRELLA.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 22, 1910.

Application filed July 26. 1909. Serial No. 509,548.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, Elaine 1 BnnNnLLo, subject of the King of Italy, residing at Preacher, in the county of \Vise and State of Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Umbrellas, of which the following is a s )eci ication.

This invention comprehends certain new and useful improvements in umbrellas, and the invention has for its object a particularly attractive device of this character in which novel fastening means are utilized for attaching the cover to the frame in such a manner as to admit of the former being quickly and conveniently removed from the latter for the purpose of repair or to be replaced by another cover of a different shade, the fastei'iing means being simple and ethcient and being adapted to effectually retain the cover against, accidental displacement, and being further arranged to in no wise detract from the appelrance of the umbrella.

With this and other objects in view that will more fully appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists in certain constructions and arrangements of the parts that I shall hereinafter fully describe and then point out the novel features of in the appended claims.

For a full understanding of the invention and the merits thereof and also to acquire a knowledge of the details of construction, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary sectional view of an umbrella constructed in accordance with my invention; and, Fig. 2 is an enlarged perspective view showing members of the separable fastener in juxtaposition.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the drawing by the same reference characters.

The general framework of an umbrella constructed in accordance with my invention, is of conventional form and consists essentially of a suitable staff or stick 1 that is provided near its upper end with the usual notched collar 2 to which the ribs 3 are pivotally connected at one end. At their middle points the ribs are formed to receive the outer ends of stretchers 4 that are connected thereto by pivots 15, the inner ends of the stretchers being attached to a runner 5 which is mounted to slide on the staff below the collar 2. i...

The cover 6 is of the customary design and is provided with a central opening T that is slightly greater in diau'iet'cr than the diameter of the staff in order to admit of the central portion of the cover being slipped dmvnwardly over the upper end of the staff and against the notched collar. The cover is held in place at its center through the instrumcntality of a cap 9 that is substantially of truncated conical form and is placed on the upper end of the stick, the upper or smaller end of the cap fitting the stafi' snugly, while the lower end is of greater diameter than the statl and hears against the central portion of the cover around the opening T, whereby to serve to press the cover against the collar and to prevent possible leakage through the central opening. The lower end of the cap is preferably formed with an annular head 9, so as to present a rounded surface to the cover 6 and preclude injury thereto. The cap is also arranged to inclose two leaf springs 10 that are disposed 011 opposite sides of the staff and are fastened at their outer ends thereto by means of a single rivet 11, the free ends of the springs being turned outwardly and being adapted to snap through apertures 12 extending through the cap at diametrically opposite points. The cap is thereby locked in place so as to be susceptible of being released by merely pressing the free ends of the springs inwardly out of engagement with the apertures 12. In further attaching the cover to the frame of the umbrella, I utilize a plurality of separable fasteners that embody re silient head members 13 secured to the ribs 3 at suitable intervals and preferably located near the free ends thereof and at the middle oints of the same. The head members are ormed with spaced pliable prongs or tongues 14 that embrace the ribs and grip the same to attach the head members securely thereto. The head members which are located at the middle points of the ribs are preferably arranged at the point of connection of the latter with the strctchers 4, the ivots 15 being adapted to be passed throng the prongs 14 whereb to serve in addition to their primary assist in fastening the said head members to the ribs.

The socket members 16 are sewed to the under side of the cover at points corresponding to the positions of the head members auctions, to

13. Each of the socket members has an elongated base that is disposed in the direction of the length of the rib and is formed at its middle point with a perforation 17 for engagement with the corresponding head member 13. In the present instance the socket members are stain ed from sheet metal and have their site edges turned downwardly to form spaced wings 18, the socket members being thus substantially U- shaped in cross section, whereby to embrace the ribs to insure against any lateral movement relative thereto. For convenience the wings 18 are formed near their opposite ends with recesses 19 that extend from their edges to the base of the socket member and are designed for the reception of the stitches for attaching a socket member to the cover. The ribs 3 are preferably bent at the point of attachment of the head members 13 in order to provide depressions 20 which are arranged to receive the socket members and to compensate for the thickness thereof to preserve the smooth lines of the umbrella and prevent any bulging at these points. The socket members that are disposed near the margin of the cover and are adapted for association with the head members at the outer ends of the ribs, are curved backwardly in the direction of their length, so that their outer ends will be spaced apart slightly from the ribs, as best illustrated in Fig. 1, to admit of the finger being inserted therebetween in disconnecting the parts.

In practice it will be apparent that when occasion requires the removal of the cover from the frame of the umbrella, the same may be conveniently and quickly accomplished by first disconnecting the separable fasteners to detach the cover from the ribs, and by then releasing the cap 8 from the retaining springs 10 and removing the former from the staff, whereupon the central portion of the cover may be readily slipped off the upper end of the staff and entirely removed therefrom.

It is to be understood that the structural features of the present invention may be embodied in a parasol as well as an innbrella, and in each instance a particularly attractive article is provided which admits of a plurality of covers being employed in connection with a sin 'le frame and readily interchanged at the will of the owner.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new is:

1. An umbrella embodying a staff, a collar fixed in proximity to one end of the staff, ribs connected at one end to the collar, a removable cover formed with a central opening passed over said end of the stati', the cover resting against the collar around the central opening, means for detachably connecting the cover to the ribs, a. cap fitted on the said end of the staff and bearing against the cover around the central opening, the cap bein formed in its side with an aperture, and a leaf spring fastened at one end to the staii' and inclosed by the cap and having its free end outturned to snap through the aperture to detachably retain the cap in place.

.2. An umbrella including a staff, ribs connected to the staff, a removable cover, and separable fasteners connecting the cover to the ribs, said fasteners comprising heads outstanding from the ribs, and socket members secured to the inner side of the cover and. separably associated with the res )cctive heads, the socket members being "oi-med with spaced flanges embracing the ribs, whereby to assist in maintaining the parts of the fasteners against accidental separation.

3. An umbrella embodying a staff, ribs connected to the stafl and provided at intervals with head members, a removable cover, and socket members fastened to the under side of the cover, the socket members being U-shaped in cross ection and comprising elongated bases disposed in the direction of the ribs and formed at intermediate points with perforations adapted for separable connection with the corresponding head members, the side edges of the bases being turned angularly to form spaced wings embracing the ribs to assist in maintaining the parts against disconnection.

4. An umbrella embodying a staff, ribs connected to the staff and provided at intervals with head members, a removable cover, socket members secured to the under side of the cover and comprising elongated bases formed near their middle points with perforations adapted for separable connection with the corresponding head members and spaced wings extended angularly from the side edges of the bases and embracing the ribs to assist in maintaining the parts against disconnection, the ribs being formed at their ends with corresponding recesses, and stitches passed through the cover and through the corresponding recesses.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EMILIO F. BRUNELLO. Witnesses:

R. P. Bauer,

W. H. Born). 

